diff --git a/.gitmodules b/.gitmodules
index 0b167c4f1..7b68e772d 100644
--- a/.gitmodules
+++ b/.gitmodules
@@ -31,3 +31,6 @@
 [submodule "external/fmt"]
 	path = external/fmt
 	url = https://github.com/fmtlib/fmt.git
+[submodule "external/SQLiteCpp"]
+	path = external/SQLiteCpp
+	url = https://github.com/SRombauts/SQLiteCpp
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index cc47358e0..06dc71d53 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ if(NOT MANUAL_SUBMODULES)
     endif()
     check_submodule(external/uWebSockets uSockets)
     check_submodule(external/ghc-filesystem)
+    check_submodule(external/SQLiteCpp)
   endif()
 endif()
 
@@ -504,6 +505,15 @@ if (WITH_SYSTEMD AND NOT BUILD_STATIC_DEPS)
 endif()
 
 
+if(BUILD_STATIC_DEPS)
+  # sqlite3 target already set up
+else()
+  add_library(sqlite3 INTERFACE)
+  pkg_check_modules(SQLITE3 REQUIRED sqlite3 IMPORTED_TARGET)
+  message(STATUS "Found sqlite3 ${SQLITE3_VERSION}")
+  target_link_libraries(sqlite3 INTERFACE PkgConfig::SQLITE3)
+endif()
+
 add_subdirectory(external)
 
 target_compile_definitions(easylogging PRIVATE AUTO_INITIALIZE_EASYLOGGINGPP)
@@ -872,15 +882,6 @@ if(CMAKE_C_COMPILER_ID STREQUAL "Clang" AND ARCH_WIDTH EQUAL "32" AND NOT IOS AN
 endif()
 
 
-if(BUILD_STATIC_DEPS)
-  # sqlite3 target already set up
-else()
-  add_library(sqlite3 INTERFACE)
-  pkg_check_modules(SQLITE3 REQUIRED sqlite3 IMPORTED_TARGET)
-  message(STATUS "Found sqlite3 ${SQLITE3_VERSION}")
-  target_link_libraries(sqlite3 INTERFACE PkgConfig::SQLITE3)
-endif()
-
 add_subdirectory(contrib)
 add_subdirectory(src)
 
diff --git a/external/CMakeLists.txt b/external/CMakeLists.txt
index 007b8dcc9..4046190a9 100644
--- a/external/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/external/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -144,3 +144,9 @@ target_link_libraries(cpr PUBLIC CURL::libcurl)
 target_include_directories(cpr PUBLIC cpr/include)
 target_compile_definitions(cpr PUBLIC CPR_CURL_NOSIGNAL)
 add_library(cpr::cpr ALIAS cpr)
+
+# disable bundled sqlite3 in sqlitecpp
+if(TARGET sqlite3)
+  option(SQLITECPP_INTERNAL_SQLITE "" OFF)
+endif()
+add_subdirectory(SQLiteCpp)
diff --git a/external/SQLiteCpp b/external/SQLiteCpp
new file mode 160000
index 000000000..0c46d86e0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/external/SQLiteCpp
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+Subproject commit 0c46d86e0d82031924c5d10bf9b23fa917ba037e
diff --git a/src/sqlitedb/database.hpp b/src/sqlitedb/database.hpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c90034ab9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/sqlitedb/database.hpp
@@ -0,0 +1,295 @@
+#pragma once
+
+#include <epee/misc_log_ex.h>
+
+#include <SQLiteCpp/SQLiteCpp.h>
+#include <sqlite3.h>
+
+#include <chrono>
+#include <cstdlib>
+#include <exception>
+#include <filesystem>
+#include <string_view>
+#include <shared_mutex>
+#include <thread>
+#include <unordered_set>
+
+namespace db
+{
+  template <typename T>
+  constexpr bool is_cstr = false;
+  template <size_t N>
+  constexpr bool is_cstr<char[N]> = true;
+  template <size_t N>
+  constexpr bool is_cstr<const char[N]> = true;
+  template <>
+  constexpr bool is_cstr<char*> = true;
+  template <>
+  constexpr bool is_cstr<const char*> = true;
+
+  // Simple wrapper class that can be used to bind a blob through the templated binding code below.
+  // E.g. `exec_query(st, 100, 42, blob_binder{data})` binds the third parameter using no-copy blob
+  // binding of the contained data.
+  struct blob_binder
+  {
+    std::string_view data;
+    explicit blob_binder(std::string_view d) : data{d}
+    {}
+  };
+
+  // Binds a string_view as a no-copy blob at parameter index i.
+  void
+  bind_blob_ref(SQLite::Statement& st, int i, std::string_view blob)
+  {
+    st.bindNoCopy(i, static_cast<const void*>(blob.data()), blob.size());
+  }
+
+  namespace detail
+  {
+    template <typename T>
+    void
+    bind_oneshot_single(SQLite::Statement& st, int i, const T& val)
+    {
+      if constexpr (std::is_same_v<T, std::string> || is_cstr<T>)
+        st.bindNoCopy(i, val);
+      else if constexpr (std::is_same_v<T, blob_binder>)
+        bind_blob_ref(st, i, val.data);
+      else
+        st.bind(i, val);
+    }
+
+    template <typename... T, int... Index>
+    void
+    bind_oneshot(SQLite::Statement& st, std::integer_sequence<int, Index...>, const T&... bind)
+    {
+      (bind_oneshot_single(st, Index + 1, bind), ...);
+    }
+  }  // namespace detail
+
+  // Called from exec_query and similar to bind statement parameters for immediate execution.
+  // strings (and c strings) use no-copy binding; integer values are bound by value.  You can bind a
+  // blob (by reference, like strings) by passing `blob_binder{data}`.
+  template <typename... T>
+  void
+  bind_oneshot(SQLite::Statement& st, const T&... bind)
+  {
+    detail::bind_oneshot(st, std::make_integer_sequence<int, sizeof...(T)>{}, bind...);
+  }
+
+  // Executes a query that does not expect results.  Optionally binds parameters, if provided.
+  // Returns the number of affected rows; throws on error or if results are returned.
+  template <typename... T, int... Index>
+  int
+  exec_query(SQLite::Statement& st, const T&... bind)
+  {
+    bind_oneshot(st, bind...);
+    return st.exec();
+  }
+
+  // Same as above, but prepares a literal query on the fly for use with queries that are only used
+  // once.
+  template <typename... T>
+  int
+  exec_query(SQLite::Database& db, const char* query, const T&... bind)
+  {
+    SQLite::Statement st{db, query};
+    return exec_query(st, bind...);
+  }
+
+  template <typename T, typename... More>
+  struct first_type
+  {
+    using type = T;
+  };
+  template <typename... T>
+  using first_type_t = typename first_type<T...>::type;
+
+  template <typename... T>
+  using type_or_tuple = std::conditional_t<sizeof...(T) == 1, first_type_t<T...>, std::tuple<T...>>;
+
+  // Retrieves a single row of values from the current state of a statement (i.e. after a
+  // executeStep() call that is expecting a return value).  If `T...` is a single type then this
+  // returns the single T value; if T... has multiple types then you get back a tuple of values.
+  template <typename T>
+  T
+  get(SQLite::Statement& st)
+  {
+    return static_cast<T>(st.getColumn(0));
+  }
+  template <typename T1, typename T2, typename... Tn>
+  std::tuple<T1, T2, Tn...>
+  get(SQLite::Statement& st)
+  {
+    return st.getColumns<std::tuple<T1, T2, Tn...>, 2 + sizeof...(Tn)>();
+  }
+
+  // Steps a statement to completion that is expected to return at most one row, optionally binding
+  // values into it (if provided).  Returns a filled out optional<T> (or optional<std::tuple<T...>>)
+  // if a row was retrieved, otherwise a nullopt.  Throws if more than one row is retrieved.
+  template <typename... T, typename... Args>
+  std::optional<type_or_tuple<T...>>
+  exec_and_maybe_get(SQLite::Statement& st, const Args&... bind)
+  {
+    int i = 1;
+    (bind_oneshot(st, i, bind), ...);
+    std::optional<type_or_tuple<T...>> result;
+    while (st.executeStep())
+    {
+      if (result)
+      {
+        MERROR("Expected single-row result, got multiple rows from {}" << st.getQuery());
+        throw std::runtime_error{"DB error: expected single-row result, got multiple rows"};
+      }
+      result = get<T...>(st);
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
+  // Executes a statement to completion that is expected to return exactly one row, optionally
+  // binding values into it (if provided).  Returns a T or std::tuple<T...> (depending on whether or
+  // not more than one T is provided) for the row.  Throws an exception if no rows or more than one
+  // row are returned.
+  template <typename... T, typename... Args>
+  type_or_tuple<T...>
+  exec_and_get(SQLite::Statement& st, const Args&... bind)
+  {
+    auto maybe_result = exec_and_maybe_get<T...>(st, bind...);
+    if (!maybe_result)
+    {
+      MERROR("Expected single-row result, got no rows from {}" << st.getQuery());
+      throw std::runtime_error{"DB error: expected single-row result, got not rows"};
+    }
+    return *std::move(maybe_result);
+  }
+
+  // Executes a query to completion, collecting each row into a vector<T> (or vector<tuple<T...>> if
+  // multiple T are given).  Can optionally bind before executing.
+  template <typename... T, typename... Bind>
+  std::vector<type_or_tuple<T...>>
+  get_all(SQLite::Statement& st, const Bind&... bind)
+  {
+    int i = 1;
+    (bind_oneshot(st, i, bind), ...);
+    std::vector<type_or_tuple<T...>> results;
+    while (st.executeStep())
+      results.push_back(get<T...>(st));
+    return results;
+  }
+
+  // Takes a query prefix and suffix and places <count> ? separated by commas between them
+  // Example: multi_in_query("foo(", 3, ")bar") will return "foo(?,?,?)bar"
+  inline std::string
+  multi_in_query(std::string_view prefix, size_t count, std::string_view suffix)
+  {
+    std::string query;
+    query.reserve(prefix.size() + (count == 0 ? 0 : 2 * count - 1) + suffix.size());
+    query += prefix;
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < count; i++)
+    {
+      if (i > 0)
+        query += ',';
+      query += '?';
+    }
+    query += suffix;
+    return query;
+  }
+
+  // Storage database class.
+  class Database
+  {
+    // SQLiteCpp's statements are not thread-safe, so we prepare them thread-locally when needed
+    std::unordered_map<std::thread::id, std::unordered_map<std::string, SQLite::Statement>>
+        prepared_sts;
+    std::shared_mutex prepared_sts_mutex;
+
+    /** Wrapper around a SQLite::Statement that calls `tryReset()` on destruction of the wrapper. */
+    class StatementWrapper
+    {
+      SQLite::Statement& st;
+
+     public:
+      /// Whether we should reset on destruction; can be set to false if needed.
+      bool reset_on_destruction = true;
+
+      explicit StatementWrapper(SQLite::Statement& st) noexcept : st{st}
+      {}
+      ~StatementWrapper() noexcept
+      {
+        if (reset_on_destruction)
+          st.tryReset();
+      }
+      SQLite::Statement&
+      operator*() noexcept
+      {
+        return st;
+      }
+      SQLite::Statement*
+      operator->() noexcept
+      {
+        return &st;
+      }
+      operator SQLite::Statement&() noexcept
+      {
+        return st;
+      }
+    };
+
+   public:
+    SQLite::Database db;
+
+    StatementWrapper
+    prepared_st(const std::string& query)
+    {
+      std::unordered_map<std::string, SQLite::Statement>* sts;
+      {
+        std::shared_lock rlock{prepared_sts_mutex};
+        if (auto it = prepared_sts.find(std::this_thread::get_id()); it != prepared_sts.end())
+          sts = &it->second;
+        else
+        {
+          rlock.unlock();
+          std::unique_lock wlock{prepared_sts_mutex};
+          sts = &prepared_sts.try_emplace(std::this_thread::get_id()).first->second;
+        }
+      }
+      if (auto qit = sts->find(query); qit != sts->end())
+        return StatementWrapper{qit->second};
+      return StatementWrapper{sts->try_emplace(query, db, query).first->second};
+    }
+
+    template <typename... T>
+    int
+    prepared_exec(const std::string& query, const T&... bind)
+    {
+      return exec_query(prepared_st(query), bind...);
+    }
+
+    template <typename... T, typename... Bind>
+    auto
+    prepared_get(const std::string& query, const Bind&... bind)
+    {
+      return exec_and_get<T...>(prepared_st(query), bind...);
+    }
+
+    explicit Database(const std::filesystem::path& db_path, const std::string_view db_password)
+        : db{db_path, SQLite::OPEN_READWRITE | SQLite::OPEN_CREATE | SQLite::OPEN_FULLMUTEX}
+    {
+      // Don't fail on these because we can still work even if they fail
+      if (int rc = db.tryExec("PRAGMA journal_mode = WAL"); rc != SQLITE_OK)
+        MERROR("Failed to set journal mode to WAL: {}" << sqlite3_errstr(rc));
+
+      if (int rc = db.tryExec("PRAGMA synchronous = NORMAL"); rc != SQLITE_OK)
+        MERROR("Failed to set synchronous mode to NORMAL: {}" << sqlite3_errstr(rc));
+
+      // FIXME: SQLite / SQLiteCPP may not have encryption available
+      //       so this may fail, or worse silently fail and do nothing
+      if (not db_password.empty())
+      {
+        db.key(std::string{db_password});
+      }
+    }
+
+    ~Database() = default;
+  };
+
+}  // namespace db